NBID: SFTP Setup Guide

Overview

This guide covers a SFTP integration between your institution and NBID, where you are able to send and receive instruction files from NBID to initiate data exchanges related to activity within the network. An SFTP integration involves two directions of file transfer:

• Outbound (to NBID): You send daily transaction files to initiate fund transfers and activity into and out of the network.
• Inbound (from NBID): You receive daily report files — balances, withdrawals, trial balances, GL postings, GL balances, monthly settlement, and the monthly account statement bundle.

This document assumes that you will be connecting to NBID’s server. If you choose for us to send files to your server instead, please see the alternate instructions at the bottom of this document.

Implementation Timeline

The typical installation timeline of an SFTP integration is 2-3 weeks. The steps of installing this integration are as follows:

1. Your team fills out and returns the completed SFTP Intake form (2-3 business days)
2. NBID configures your SFTP connection and returns server connection details to you (2-3 business days). It is not necessary to test in a Sandbox (test) environment. Our testing process is covered in more detail below.
3. Connectivity Test (1 day)
4. End to end testing plan (3 days)

Exchange Details

A SFTP integration allows your team to automate the exchange of data related to network activity as well as provide your team with consistent and accurate financial reporting. You will connect to NBID’s SFTP server where NBID will post files daily after processing. NBID provides your credentials and private key.

Use your preferred SFTP client (e.g., FileZilla, WinSCP, or command-line) with the following configuration connection settings:

Testing

Before going live, you'll complete a four-day testing plan to confirm your SFTP connection is working and that your files meet NBID's formatting requirements.This testing plan is designed to help your team understand how SFTP is used to send instruction files to NBID to initiate money movement in and out of the NBID network via the Program Account. We perform testing in our production environment with small dollar amounts.

Before you begin:

• Create two separate test accounts and designate them for use throughout all testing below. You will be testing with real money in small dollar amounts.
• Confirm your understanding of fund flow before testing: deposits move funds from the Test Account(s) → Program Account; withdrawals move funds from the Program Account → Test Account(s).
• Coordinate with your team to ensure someone is available to run the internal job or manually move money between the Test Account(s) and the Program Account as needed during testing.

At the end of the full testing process, the Program Account balance will be zeroed out. The NBID team will walk you through each step live. See the below for an overview on the four-day testing plan.

Critical Setup Considerations

• File Naming: Naming conventions are case-sensitive and must match exactly. All column headers must be included as-is.
• Authentication: Key-based SSH authentication is required. Never share SSH keys via email — NBID will always deliver keys via SendSafely.
• IP Whitelisting: Your external IP address must be whitelisted before a connection can be established.
• Testing Folder: Use the /tests/ folder for all test file transfers. All other folders are linked to Production, which are assumed to be for live accounts and data exchanges related to actual money movement.
• Submission Deadline: Outbound Files (Sent to NBID) Transaction Files must reach NBID by 1:00 p.m. ET for same-day allocation. Files received after this time will be included in the next business day’s allocation.
• File Deletion: NBID does not delete transaction files. Files can be differentiated by the date in their filename.

File Format Specifications

All files are delivered or submitted as CSVs (exception case: Bulk Account Statements delivered monthly as a ZIP folder). File naming conventions are case-sensitive.

Inbound Files (From NBID)

Outbound Files (To NBID)

File naming conventions are case-sensitive. It is crucial that you follow the format below precisely.

You MUST follow the exact naming format above. Hyphens and underscores must match.

transactions File Fields (Outbound)

You MUST follow the exact naming format above. Hyphens and underscores must match.

TroubleShooting

Common Outbound File Issues

• File Type: Files must be in CSV format. XLSX, TXT, or other formats are not supported.
• File Name: Follow the exact naming format (e.g., TRANSACTIONS_YYYY-MM-DD.csv). Hyphens and underscores must match.
• File Date: On any given day, only files named with the current day’s date will be ingested. Any future or back dated files will fail to register in our allocation process.
• Column Headers: All columns must be present, including optional ones. Optional fields can be left blank but must still appear in the header row.
• Timestamps: Must be in UTC ISO 8601 format (e.g., 2025-01-27T14:30:00Z).
• Number Formatting: Numeric fields (amount, balance, APY) must contain numbers only — no commas, dollar signs, or percent symbols.

Connection Issues

• Verify your private key file permissions are set correctly (chmod 600 on Unix/Mac).
• Confirm your IP address has been whitelisted by NBID.
• Double-check your firewall and network settings allow outbound connections on port 22.

If you require NBID to push files directly to your server please note the differences below:

Set Up

You must provide your server details and whitelist NBID’s IP address.

Once your server details are received, NBID will provide an SSH public key for authentication. Please confirm once you have registered the SSH public key on your institution's server, and NBID will then test connectivity by sending you a sample file. You will be able to download files after the scheduled times outlined in 6. File Format Specifications.

For questions during setup or any issues with file transfers, please reach out to your dedicated Account Manager or contact us at support@modernfi.com.

Security Best Practices:

• Use key-based authentication exclusively.
• Never share SSH keys via email or insecure channels.
• Request and whitelist NBID’s IP address for connections.
• Use SendSafely for secure key delivery.
• Monitor transfers and automate alerts for failures.
• Ensure compliance with internal and regulatory data security policies.

Inbound File Data Dictionaries: